The Drifter by Kate Hoffmann

deep breath, then shook his head. “Not quite that long.”
    “So you thought I’d be a sure thing?” she asked.
    “No,” he said, his tone adamant.
    “What did you have planned when you stopped by the restaurant?”
    “A drink and some conversation. But it seems like we always get distracted when we’re together.”
    “I’m not surprised we ended up in bed,” she said.
    “We never really had an end to things five years ago.”
    “We didn’t? I thought you marrying Dave put a nice tidy period at the end of it.”
    “I married Dave because—”
    “Matt,” he corrected.
    “I know!” Eve cried. “I just thought it was easier to go along. Which is exactly what I did with Matt. He seemed like the easy choice,” she said. “The path of least resistance. You would have been the difficult choice. Besides, you just disappeared in the middle of the night. I didn’t have to choose. You did that for me.”
    “Well, I won’t be doing that again,” Charlie said. He stepped around the counter and grabbed her by the waist, pulling her into a long, deep kiss. “I’m sticking around for a while.” He tugged her toward the hall. “Come on, I want you back in my bed. We need to work up an appetite for lunch.”
    “I have to be at the restaurant in an hour,” she protested. But her resistance was weak at best. She had a staff of kitchen help who knew exactly what to do to prepare for the lunch crowd. And Lily would be there to supervise. She deserved a day off every now and then.
    He wrapped his arms around her thighs and picked her up. “I’ll have you there in forty-five minutes,” heteased. “Or six hours. Depending upon how good I am.”
    There was no doubt about his skills in the bedroom, she mused. And six hours sounded like just about the right amount of time to satisfy all her cravings. They’d enjoy a sexual feast now and she’d deal with the famine later.

3
    H E HEARD THE KEY IN THE LOCK and Charlie smiled. He and Evie had spent the last three nights together and this would make a fourth. Though their nights began late, usually around midnight, they could afford to sleep in. Eve usually left for the restaurant at eleven.
    “I’m in here,” he called when he heard her footsteps heading toward the kitchen. A few moments later, she appeared at the end of the sofa, a bag slung over her shoulder. “What’s that?” he asked, pointing to the bag.
    “I’m tired of rushing home to shower and grab fresh clothes in the morning. So I brought a few things along. If you have a problem with that, then tough.”
    Charlie grinned. “No problem. But we should probably set some ground rules if you’re planning to move in.”
    “I’m not moving in. I’m just visiting. Both you and I know that this is a short-term thing.”
    “You could move in,” he said. “It would make things more convenient.” There was a time in his life when he never would have made a suggestion like that, but now, the prospect of having Evie with him full-time had distinct advantages.
    “No. I think we’re fine the way things are.” She dropped her bag on the floor, then sat down next to him on the sofa. “What are you doing?”
    “Putting together a slide presentation on the seven summits. I’m doing a couple of lectures at the university next week.”
    “So that’s why you came back,” she said. “It wasn’t for me.”
    “No. Not technically. But when I accepted the job, I knew I might see you again.”
    “Show me,” Evie said, pointing to the computer. “I’d like to see what took you away from me the first time.”
    Over the next two hours, Charlie went through the photos he’d compiled, explaining the challenges of each climb and the significance in his quest. They opened a bottle of wine and curled up together, the computer resting on his lap and Evie tucked beneath his arm.
    When it was over, she took a deep breath and sighed. “I don’t understand it,” she said. “You riskyour life. People die.